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Hundreds of Egyptian Americans protested in front of the White House and marched through the streets of Washington, D.C. Saturday, urging President Obama to stand against newly elected Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. The protest came as Morsi sought to ease tensions in Egypt by removing part of the decree that awarded him near-absolute control.

After a contentious election process, many in Egypt were suspicious that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood sought to be the dominant political power. Morsi soon took steps to solidify that political dominance. In November, he caused a mass uprising by annulling several constitutional amendments that restricted his power – including an amendment that provided judicial oversight of his actions.

Although Morsi has replaced his initial decree with a modified version, his initial power grab has left many Egyptians uneasy.

“Morsi’s declaration on 22 November, as well as the draft constitution planned to be voted on in a referendum are an absolute shame to anything that we can even call a democracy,” said Miriam Aziz, an international student from Egypt attending American University. Aziz was one of hundreds who protested outside the White House.

“It is by all means a populist tyranny and a dictatorship,” Aziz said of Morsi’s administration. “We are here to raise our voices and echo the voices of our brothers and sisters and family and friends in Egypt protesting this.”

Aside from a Dec. 6 call to Morsi, President Obama has largely been silent on the uprising in Egypt. During the call, Obama urged all political leaders in Egypt to denounce violence. He also urged an open dialogue between Morsi and his opposition, but stressed that the dialogue should occur without preconditions.

Protesters in front of the White House urged President Obama to do more.

Revolutionary signs displayed during the courageous Egyptian American demonstration that took place Saturday from in front of the White …

House to the Egyptian embassy. The chanting and the slogans as well as the signs were historic. Among them “Muslim Brotherhood are fascists.” And “why do you side with the Islamists, President Obama.” Note that the majority of the participants were moderate Muslim Egyptians and some Copts as well. There were no CAIR operatives to be seen on the scene, and the charge of Islamophobia was destroyed into pieces in front of the Administration’s advisors, Middle East studies academia and Islamist lobbies in the US. This demonstration showed that the Islamist lobbies are a minority of militants funded by Petrodollars and are now being exposed for their lies. Most Egyptians in the US and in Egypt are against the Muslim Brotherhood, even though the latter can steal elections and would steal the next referendum.